0000000000316116
AUTHOR
Kari L. Keskinen
Neuromuscular function during therapeutic knee exercise under water and on dry land
Abstract Poyhonen T, Keskinen KL, Kyrolainen H, Hautala A, Savolainen J, Malkia E. Neuromuscular function during therapeutic knee exercise under water and on dry land. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2001;82:1446-52. Objectives: To compare muscle activity and resistive drag force during knee extension-flexion exercises while barefoot and while wearing a Hydro Boot (increased frontal area) both under water and on dry land. Design: Participants performed the exercises while seated on an elevator chair under water. Setting: A hydrotherapy pool. Participants: Eighteen healthy persons (10 women, 8 men). Interventions: Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures: Isokinetic and isometric forces were measured wit…
Human isometric force production and electromyogram activity of knee extensor muscles in water and on dry land.
This study was designed to determine trial-to-trial and day-to-day reproducibility of isometric force and electromyogram activity (EMG) of the knee extensor muscles in water and on dry land as well as to make comparisons between the two training conditions in muscle activity and force production. A group of 20 healthy subjects (12 women and 8 men) were tested three times over 2 weeks. A measurement session consisted of recordings of maximal and submaximal isometric knee extension force with simultaneous recording of surface EMG from the vastus medialis, vastus lateralis and biceps femoris muscles. To ensure identical measurement conditions the same patient elevator chair was used in both th…
Breaststroke swimmer's knee
The cause of the breaststroke swimmer's knee with medial pain of the knee joint has not been clearly identified. Breaststroke swimmers with knee pain were, therefore, examined arthros copically. None showed any other disorders of their knees than medial synovitis in seven of nine swimmers. Since structural abnormalities could be ruled out, biomechanical analyses utiliz ing cinematographic techniques were used to study patients swimming in a special flume with the speed set at 90% of their best competitive performance. The results indicate that the extension and flexion and also in some cases the hip abduction and adduction movements of the whip kick were performed with high peak angular ve…
Effect of Pool Length on Blood Lactate, Heart Rate, and Velocity in Swimming
Exercise testing in water has been used to follow the progression of conditioning during regular training in swimmers. The present study examined the effects of pool length in eleven male swimmers on a set of 5 x 200-m freestyle swims with increasing speed from submaximal to maximal. Mean velocity of swimming, blood lactate and heart rate were examined in both 25-m and 50-m pools. Turning benefit as a marker for turning skill was measured separately by a underwater video system (speed difference between pre- and post-turning) during short all-out swims. Maximum force during swimming was measured in tethered swimming and explosive strength of leg extensor muscles was evaluated by a counter m…
Respiratory snorkel and valve system for breath-by-breath gas analysis in swimming
The present study aimed to compare a standard facemask (CM) and a newly modified swimming snorkel and valve system (SV) for breath-by-breath (BxB) gas analysis (K4 b2, Cosmed, Rome, Italy), and to validate the system under controlled laboratory conditions before being used in swimming. Nine healthy males performed two bouts of a stepwise exercise on an electrically braked stationary bicycle on separate days. Ventilatory and gas exchange parameters were analyzed using the same BxB portable system, with subjects breathing alternatively through the two different valves. Agreement between both methods was evaluated by Passing-Bablok regression analysis. The gas exchange values measured using th…
Serum hormone concentrations during prolonged training in elite endurance-trained and strength-trained athletes.
A study of 1 year was performed on nine elite endurance-trained athletes (swimmers) and on eight elite strength-trained athletes (weightlifters) in order to examine the effects of training on the endocrine responses and on physical performance capacity. The measurements for the determination of serum hormone concentrations were performed at about 4-month intervals during the course of the year. The primary findings demonstrated that during the first and most intensive training period of the year in preparing for the primary competitions similar but statistically insignificant changes were observed in the concentrations of serum testosterone, free testosterone and cortisol in both the endura…
Asthma, allergies and respiratory symptoms in different activity groups of swimmers exercising in swimming halls
Abstract Background Respiratory symptoms are common in competitive swimmers. However, among these and in swimmers at other activity levels the swimming distance, the total spent time in swimming halls and their medical background varies. Our objectives were, first, to assess their medical histories and the associations with respiratory symptoms among swimmers in different activity groups and then second, to study the pulmonary function findings and related medications in competitive swimmers who exercise in swimming hall environments the most. Methods First, 1118 participants consisting of 133 competitive-, 734 fitness- and 251 occasional swimmers answered questionnaires concerning their me…
Electromyographic and kinematic analysis of therapeutic knee exercises under water.
Abstract Objective. This study aimed to evaluate muscle function and kinematics during commonly used knee rehabilitation exercises performed in water. Design. Maximal effort single extension and flexion trials in still water and repeated extension–flexion trials in flowing water in barefoot condition were analysed from 18 healthy participants (8 men, 10 women). Background. Despite the fact that water exercises are widely used, there are only few studies involving biomechanical and hydrodynamical analysis of aquatic exercises in rehabilitation. Methods. Electromyography of the quadriceps (vastus medialis, vastus lateralis) and hamstring muscles (biceps femoris, semitendinosus) and angular ve…
Determination of hydrodynamic drag forces and drag coefficients on human leg/foot model during knee exercise.
Objective. The purpose of this laboratory experiment was to measure hydrodynamic drag forces in barefoot/hydro-boot conditions and accordingly, to determine the coefficients of drag on human leg/foot model during simulated knee extension–flexion exercise. Design. The prosthesis of the human lower leg was set in a water tank and connected into an isokinetic force dynamometer to measure resistive forces during knee motion. Background. Quantifying resistance for aquatic exercises has been a challenge in hydrotherapy. The use of models of foot/leg provides a practical method to calculate coefficients of drag and to estimate resistance for rehabilitation purposes in musculoskeletal and amputee p…
Combined creatine and sodium bicarbonate supplementation enhances interval swimming.
This study examined the effect of simultaneous supplementation of creatine and sodium bicarbonate on consecutive maximal swims. Sixteen competitive male and female swimmers completed, in a randomized order, 2 different treatments (placebo and a combination of creatine and sodium bicarbonate) with 30 days of washout period between treatments in a double-blind crossover procedure. Both treatments consisted of placebo or creatine supplementation (20 g per day) in 6 days. In the morning of the seventh day, there was placebo or sodium bicarbonate supplementation (0.3 g per kg body weight) during 2 hours before a warm-up for 2 maximal 100-m freestyle swims that were performed with a passive recov…
Muscle cross-sectional area and voluntary force production characteristics in elite strength- and endurance-trained athletes and sprinters
Seven male elite strength-trained athletes (SA) from different weight categories, six elite sprinters (SPA) and seven elite endurance-trained athletes (EA) volunteered as subjects for examination of their muscle cross-sectional area (CSA), maximal voluntary isometric force, force-time and relaxation-time characteristics of the leg extensor muscles. The SA group demonstrated slightly greater CSA and maximal absolute strength than the SPA group, while the EA group demonstrated the smallest values both in CSA and especially in maximal strength (p<0.05). When the maximal forces were related to CSA of the muscles, the mean value for the SA group of 60.8±10.0 N·cm−2 remained slightly greater than…
Cardiorespiratory responses to basic aquatic exercise – A pilot study
This study aimed to examine cardiorespiratory responses to six basic aquatic exercises and to compare the impact of the exercises between healthy females (H group, n=10) and females with diagnosed cardiopulmonary diseases (C group, n=10). The average age of the participants was 52.6(±5.9) years. Each exercise was performed for 3 min. During the exercises, heart rate (HR), oxygen consumption (VO2), blood lactate concentration (BLA), and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) were measured. In each pair of exercises, the latter part was more strenuous than the first. Walking in place was least and cross-country skiing the most strenuous mode of exercise. Energy expenditure (EE) ranged between 2.5±0…